Get Mighty Muscly on the Mites! 🐝💪

If you haven’t had a chance to dive into Randy Oliver’s insights on mite management then you’re in for a treat! Many consider his model the go-to guide for going from zero mites to a full-blown infestation—and, more importantly, how to fight back!

The Big Picture: Randy’s research points out that the standard practice of using synthetic miticides isn’t a sustainable long-term solution. Instead, he’s exploring the potential of bees naturally evolving resistance to mites—a future he’s actively working towards through selective breeding and sustainable mite management strategies. One of his essential tools? A mite model that helps beekeepers like us understand varroa dynamics and the ways bees can develop resistance.

Source: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-varroa-problem-part-13/

Understanding the Mite Model: The mite model isn’t just a static tool; it’s a work in progress, constantly being refined. It’s designed to help you see how mite populations can explode under certain conditions and how various factors—like the amount of brood or drone cells—can impact mite growth. The cool part? You can adjust the model based on your own bees and local conditions to get a more accurate picture of what’s happening in your hives.

Why This Matters: Interpreting mite counts, especially using alcohol washes, can be tricky. Randy’s model shows that mite populations often grow much faster than we realize, especially in the spring. By the time your alcohol wash starts showing higher counts, your hive might already be in serious trouble. It’s a reminder that we need to stay vigilant and proactive in our mite management. Below is Randy’s management regimen.

How Does Robbing Affect the Mite Cycle? After you’ve treated you don’t have hardly any mites, perhaps. A single robbing hive that has been untreated or has low hygiene activity can drop mites into your hive. Below is Randy’s graph about an untreated hive with immigration from robbing bees.

How to Stop Immigration? Strong colonies can usually keep out robbers, but huge dearths or weaker hives don’t stand a chance. We think of robbing from yellow jackets, hornets and wasps - but a huge danger comes from other beehives.

This is Where the ProtectaBEE Shines: Most robbing screens are not easy for bees to defend - and robbing bees can be pretty smart. However, with the red cones and the narrow entrances, the guard bees can easily defend their hive from robbing bees.

Future of Mites: We’re also excited to share that we’re working on a soil fungus for bee vectoring with the ProtectaBEE® system. Early results are promising, and it’s safe to use with honey supers. Stay tuned as we continue this research—it could be a game-changer in sustainable mite control!

Let’s get mighty muscly on those mites together!

Bee well,

Dr. Erica